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IMO, MSG is the perfect nocebo. I've heard a lot of stuff about the harm it does, but these effects vary from person to person. WHen tested in double blind studies, nothing could be found. Of course, this was 15 years ago, so I don't recall a single source. It could be a good topic though.

I know this is not the highest caliber of source but the humor site cracked is running an article stating:

Quote:

A European biotech company prepared to commercially release a genetically engineered soil bacterium for use by farmers. The bacterium was called Klebsiella planticola, and it nearly murdered everybody; you just don't know it yet.

Sorry for the lack of a link. I'm too new to post one. Here it is in cut and pasteable form though.

Satanic ritual abuse and killings in the early 1990's. I was employed in public safety (EMS) during that time and we were sent to several continuing education seminars to teach us how to recognize ritual abuse. I never ran across any satanic cults operating in my area. Recently (since becoming interested in the skeptical movement) I've read a couple of articles saying that the ritual abuse hysteria was trumped-up and in some cases was more or less a "witch hunt", but I've never found a podcast specifically about the subject.

Satanic ritual abuse and killings in the early 1990's. I was employed in public safety (EMS) during that time and we were sent to several continuing education seminars to teach us how to recognize ritual abuse. I never ran across any satanic cults operating in my area. Recently (since becoming interested in the skeptical movement) I've read a couple of articles saying that the ritual abuse hysteria was trumped-up and in some cases was more or less a "witch hunt", but I've never found a podcast specifically about the subject.

My high school religion teacher said he knew a serious researcher who tried to do some research on serious Satanists in the Bergen area of Norway. He couldn't find any.

Quote:

I listened to a couple of the organic food ones - good stuff. Very concise.

He has one on biodynamics, too.

__________________In choosing to support humanitarian organizations, it's best to choose those that do not have "militant wings" (Mycroft, 2013)

How about the living Vietnam War P.O.W. conspiracy theory? We all still see the black POW/MIA flags everywhere and remember Rambo II. The conspiracy theory that Vietnam kept American POW's after the war and that our own government knows about it and covers it up is what launched Ross Perot's political career. Just listing all of the crazy things Perot did in his quest to prove the conspiracy would make an interesting podcast.

How about a show about this myth commonly circulated within the vegetarian/vegan/PETA crowd: that we humans are really herbivores by nature instead of omnivores, and the human body is biologically unsuited for consuming, digesting and metabolizing animal meat.

I've encountered many vegetarians, animal rights activists and the like who insist their diet is not only a personal preference, but is in fact the proper natural fodder of human consumption. They charge that the rest of us who eat meat are indulging in a hideous perversion of our own nature which is not only immoral and cruel, but also unhealthful and even downright poisonous to our bodies.

This argument is supported by a number of very well-crafted bits of pseudoscience. Here are just a few examples of this 'evidence' that supposedly proves humans have evolved as herbivores:

Humans are primates descended from apes, and nearly all apes are exclusively herbivorous

Archaeological investigations of early human remains have found that early man was not primarily a hunter, but ate a diet of mostly fruits and nuts

Humans do not possess sharp talons or protruding canine teeth as do other predatory carnivores

Humans have flat molars for grinding up botanical material, a type of teeth which carnivores do not have

The human mouth produces a lot of very alkaline saliva with powerful enzymes - similar to herbivores which need to break down plant cell walls to derive nutrition from plants, whereas carnivores produce relatively little, acidic saliva

Most carnivores have stomach acid that is 20 times stronger than that of herbivores, necessary for digesting meat, but humans have a more dilute stomach acid like that of an herbivore

The human digestive tract is of a similar length as that of most herbivores (in a ratio of alimentary canal length to body length), and carnivores generally have a much shorter digestive tract

Because humans have such a long digestive tract, digesting meat tends to decay inside our intestines, introducing harmful bacterial "toxins" into our systems

I've heard a number of other points to this argument, but these seem to be the most popular.

When researching this topic on the Internet, I found an astounding number of websites promoting these claims as fact. One website has a statement by a guy claiming an MD, who gives his professional opinion that a strict vegetarian diet is necessary for optimal human nutrition. Not surprisingly, just about all of these sites are openly dedicated to vegetarianism and other 'alternative' lifestyles.

People have been eating meat for millennia. Meat is consumed on every continent on Earth. The main reasons why people do not eat meat are economic, religious, cultural or personal. If meat is so bad for us, how come more people in the industrialized world aren't diseased and dying from all the dead animals we consume? Why don't vegetarians live much longer lives and vastly outperform weak, sickly meat-eaters in athletic competitions? Seems like this myth ought to be very easy to debunk, but I haven't found a single resource which addresses these claims critically, with citations of, you know, actual scientific data and such.

There's a movement asserting that Teflon is poisonous, and ingesting flaked off pieces of it are harmful to human health.

I read somewhere that inhaling burning fumes from Teflon can cause respiratory problems, but only when it's heated to over 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Reportedly, some unfortunate bird owners have had their beloved pets die after the owners left non-stick pans sitting empty on a lit stove for extended periods of time. The story I heard went that the empty pans absorbed so much heat that the Teflon coating (or the binder that connects it to the metal of the pan) overheated, releasing toxic fumes which quickly overwhelmed the birds' rapid metabolism. Supposedly, these stories have led to a growing mistrust of Teflon cookware.

Brian, beware: taking on this story might get you branded as a shill for the Dow Chemical Company.

I think the common myth is that homosexuality is a "choice". There are a lot of other popular myths: humans are the only animals that present homosexual behavior, it can be "cured", it leads to a less effective military, etc.

I stumbled across this open letter to the "scientific Community" (Published in New Scientist, May 22, 2004)
The gist of it is that the The big bang today relies on a growing number of unobservable hypothetical entities...inflation, dark matter and dark energy by example.
The letter is signed by some 33 scientists (who must be legit, as they complain of a lack of funding)
I realize that indirect evidence for dark matter has since been demonstrated.
Inflation and dark energy have always struck me as pretty freaking weird, but not knowing the math I tend to take it on "faith"...

But check out some of the signers and you'll see that there is a high quotient of whack jobs...

Lots of people claim this "alternative medical" procedure has definite health benefits, and say the procedure makes them feel healthier and more energetic. There are even stories of patients being relieved of toxic blood poisoning and terrifying intestinal parasites by having their butt power-washed by a "specialist" with no legitimate medical training. It seems to me that a procedure such as this could be very risky for dubious benefits.

I'd love to see one on the origins of various Christmas and Easter traditions mostly because my own research into the matter is completely contradictory that I can't tell what's true and what isn't.

__________________Circled nothing is still nothing.
"Nothing will stop the U.S. from being a world leader, not even a handful of adults who want their kids to take science lessons from a book that mentions unicorns six times." -UNLoVedRebel
Mumpsimus: a stubborn person who insists on making an error in spite of being shown that it is wrong

Lots of people claim this "alternative medical" procedure has definite health benefits, and say the procedure makes them feel healthier and more energetic. There are even stories of patients being relieved of toxic blood poisoning and terrifying intestinal parasites by having their butt power-washed by a "specialist" with no legitimate medical training. It seems to me that a procedure such as this could be very risky for dubious benefits.

Skepchick had an excellent podcast on this not too long ago. I've never posted a podast url before, but try this, and look at the april 1 show #4.

I'd really like to see something done on "Big". Seriously, it should be it's own Logical Fallacy. I suppose it could be an offshoot of the Strawman, but whenever I hear someone mention "Big" anything in a conversation, I know I'm up against Woo or a conspiracy theory. Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Corn. I mean, c'mon, what about Big Homeopathy, Big Organic and Big Vitamin?

I'd really like to see something done on "Big". Seriously, it should be it's own Logical Fallacy. I suppose it could be an offshoot of the Strawman, but whenever I hear someone mention "Big" anything in a conversation, I know I'm up against Woo or a conspiracy theory. Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Corn. I mean, c'mon, what about Big Homeopathy, Big Organic and Big Vitamin?

Yeah, the ignorant double standard ticks me off, too. Though Brian already takes care to refer to these people as "the organic industry" and "alternative industry" whatever chance he gets, which always warms the heart.

__________________In choosing to support humanitarian organizations, it's best to choose those that do not have "militant wings" (Mycroft, 2013)

I'd really like to see something done on "Big". Seriously, it should be it's own Logical Fallacy. I suppose it could be an offshoot of the Strawman, but whenever I hear someone mention "Big" anything in a conversation, I know I'm up against Woo or a conspiracy theory. Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Corn. I mean, c'mon, what about Big Homeopathy, Big Organic and Big Vitamin?

This would lead well into how "Big" the producers of the alternative medicines are, he touched on Organic farming, but I wonder how Big the manufacturing of the most popular homeopathy or vitamins are, I wouldn't be surprised to find some of the companies are just as large as some of the pharmaceutical companies.

I'd love to see one which challenges unfair prejudices against people who have been mentally ill, shows the effectiveness of medication and challenges the pseudoscientists who try to exploit sufferers.

I thought it'd be interesting to have everyone list which Skeptoid episodes they'd like to see.

I guess you mean on video, not new episodes, like I and some other posters first assumed - I have created a new thread for that (Ideas for new Skeptoid episodes, or: Skeptoid episodes you'd like to hear).

I'd love to see an episode done on the whole 'DMT' fad - That DMT is some sort of mind expanding psychedelic which lets your mind travel to other dimensions or some crap. I've been hearing more and more about it from my more 'bohemian' type friends (of course) and I'm getting fairly frustrated with it.

Also, just for fun, I'd love to hear an entire episode devoted to better 'understanding' the true nature of the Reptiloid threat - or whatever those things that David Icke keeps talking about are. I think that would be hilarious.

Also, just for fun, I'd love to hear an entire episode devoted to better 'understanding' the true nature of the Reptiloid threat - or whatever those things that David Icke keeps talking about are. I think that would be hilarious.

I'd like to see an episode about whether the Nazi sniper Erwin Koenig/Heinz Thorvald was a real person. Koenig supposedly was killed by Russian sniper Vasily Zaitsev after a three-day duel. He is assumed to be real by the movie and book Enemy At The Gates as well as the book War Of The Rats, and I just watched a History Channel documentary that assumed he was real as well. Apparently there is some doubt.

Has there been one on sugar substitutes? Also has there been an in depth one about Kevin Trudeau and how this guy still peddles garbage on television? I haven't looked at many back episodes but I have been listening to the podcast for a few weeks now. I really enjoy it and I don't know why I just started listening recently. I think for too long I forgot why I originally joined this site. I wasted way too much time here talking about garbage in the politics forum and not nearly enough focused on what brought me here in the first place: I wanted to interact with other people who recognized the immense damage and destruction that woo artists, conspiracy theorists, religious zealots and extremists, myths, superstitions, fake medicine, and other such things are wreaking upon the world.

I would love a guide to bullshyte headlines. I can't make anywhere near enough people read Tabloid-Watch each day, so there are way too many folks at work who think the George Cross has been banned, the E U controls the shapes of bananas and the Muslims or Health and Safety or Political Correctness is effecting all manner of rediculous aspects of their lives.